Some Sony e-readers may not arrive for the holidays

When Sony unveiled the Reader Daily Edition, its first e-reader with a wireless connection, it said it would be available in December in time for the holidays.

But it looks like customers won't be able to count on getting one before the end of the year.

Sony announced Wednesday that its new reader is now available for preorder. But while the press release says it will ship next month, Sony's e-commerce site says pre-orders will ship Dec. 18 through Jan. 8. "Actual delivery date cannot be guaranteed," according to the site.

The number of people who signed up to find out about the Daily Edition's availability exceeded Sony's expectation, a company spokesman said. Sony will deliver as many as it can in time for the holidays, but people will receive them on a first-come, first-served basis, he said.

Sony also recently introduced two other e-readers, but the Daily Edition is the first that replicates Amazon's Kindle, by shipping with built-in wireless connectivity that allows for over-the-air book downloads. Like the Kindle, the Daily Edition will not charge users monthly or transaction fees.

While Sony has been selling e-readers for years, the Kindle popularized the category. The market for such products is growing crowded. Bookseller Barnes & Noble is also selling one, called the Nook, that will let users wirelessly download books from its catalog.

Sony's Daily Edition costs US$399. The newest Kindle and the Nook sell for $259.

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